List of Viceroys in India

This article consists of the list of viceroys in India from 1858 to 1947. The title of viceroy was introduced post the battle of 1857. The British government witnessed the mismanagement by the East India company and therefore the government introduced a representative head titled as the Viceroy of India.

List of Viceroys in India
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From the civil services exam perspective, the List of Viceroys and the role they played under the EIC is important to the UPSC Syllabus and candidates must go through the points discussed further below in this article.

This is an important topic for the IAS exam.

Viceroys in India from 1858 to 1947

Given below is the list of Viceroys in India, their tenure and achievements, important from the perspective of the upcoming civil service exam:

• Abolished doctrine of lapse

• Wahabi Movement

• Establishment of High court in Calcutta, Madras during his reign.
• Anglo-Bhutanese war

• Financial Distribution between centre and state introduced for the first time
• First Census in 1872
• Mayo College for the royal elite was set up
• Lord Mayo was the only Governor-General who was killed in India. He was killed by Sher Ali Afridi in Port Blair
• Establishment of Statistical Survey of India

• Civil Marriage and Arya Samaj marriage introduced
• Universal Marriage Act introduced in 1872
• Intercaste Marriage allowed
• Kuka Movement in Punjab

• Vernacular Press Act, 1878
• Arms Act, 1878
• Nationalist view – Due to High rate of taxation purchasing power had reduced.
• Government view – Drought is natural phenomena due to which people became poor
• Ignored severe famine and organized durbar. Proclaimed Queen Victoria “The Empress of India”
• Abolished tax on cotton for British traders
• Maximum age to take up civil services exam lowered from 21 to 19

• Was the most loved Governor-General
• Repealed the controversial Arms and Vernacular press act
• Set up Local self-governments – Panchayats and Municipal Boards due to which he was known as Father of Self Government
• 2 new universities opened – Punjab University 1884, Allahabad University 1887
• Illbert Bill – Indian judge cannot try English Judge
• Appointment of Hunter Commission

• III Anglo-­‐Burmese war (1885-­‐1886)
• Indian National Congress was founded in 1885

• Indian Councils Act, 1892 (Indirect election was introduced for the first time)
• Factory Act, 1891

• First British Officer called Rands was killed.
• He was killed by Chapekar (Ramkrishna & Damodar) Brothers. This was the first political murder.

• Indian Universities act – to control Indian Universities
• Raleigh Commission
• Partition of Bengal
• Curzon-Kitchener controversy

• Morley – Minto reforms

• Mesopotamian Campaign
• Transfer of Capital from Calcutta to Delhi
• Hindu Mahasabha was established by Madan Mohan Malaviya

• Home Rule League Movements
• Rowlatt Act was passed
• Montague – Chelmsford reform was passed

• Swaraj Party was formed
• Chauri – Chaura incident took place

• Launch of civil disobedience movement and Dandi march
• First round table conference was held

• Second & Third Round Table Conference
• Poona pact was signed
• Communal award was started

• Cripps Mission
• Quit India movement

• CR Formula 1944
• Launch of Direct Action day
• Wavell Plan & Shimla conference

• June 3rd Plan
• Last Viceroy and First Governor-General of free India

To know more about governors-general of India, refer to the linked article.

Aspirants preparing for the upcoming civil services exam must not wait until the last minute to brush up on their preparation. The final touches to the preparation must be given before the UPSC admit card is released and only revision must be left for last minute.

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List of Viceroys in India
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